Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

The machine tool first emitted a low hum, as if slowly waking up, and then the indicator lights on the panel lit up with a faint green light.

All motion axes slowly rise, assuming a posture awaiting instructions.

"Chief... all the lights are green!"

A young researcher's voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Is...is this considered a success?"

Before Liu Guangqi could answer, another person spoke up first: "Making it is only the first step; whether it succeeds or not depends on the actual testing. Director, let me do the testing?"

"Okay, you can do it."

Liu Guangqi smiled, stepped back two paces, and gestured to the crowd.

If all goes well, once the test is passed, this report on the seven-axis five-linkage system can be submitted to higher authorities.

The testing process is self-explanatory.

Soon, the results came in—the seven-axis five-linkage performance was excellent, and all other indicators also passed.

Cheers suddenly erupted in the workshop, as the pent-up excitement finally burst forth.

"Director! Passed with flying colors!"

"We did it... After five axes, seven axes are here too!"

"It really worked! It really did!"

The moment the machine tool stopped, all the researchers abandoned their posts and gathered around Liu Guangqi, cheering with joy.

There weren't many people in the research lab at the moment, and they were all around the same age. They usually didn't care about hierarchy, and at this moment they forgot all about the distinction between superiors and subordinates.

In fact, ever since Liu Guangqi took over the research department from Director Lin, the atmosphere here has quietly changed.

The atmosphere is younger and purer—the disputes in the past were mostly trivial squabbles, but now the debates almost all revolve around the technological path.

Such debates usually don't last long; once Liu Guangqi makes the final decision and sets a plan, all the arguments naturally subside.

There were many people in the department who were older than Liu Guangqi, but they all respected him greatly.

After all, his abilities are obvious, and no one can deny them.

To be honest, although Liu Guangqi has been working in the ministry for less than four years since graduating from university, the research and development experience that everyone has learned from him and accumulated with him in this short period of time is more substantial than that of the past ten years.

Calling him "teacher" is by no means an exaggeration.

For the entire research department, Liu Guangqi's role is irreplaceable.

From coordinate measuring machines to five-axis linkage, and now to seven-axis machine tools—it has always been the locomotive leading the way, responsible for pointing out the direction and providing the most core technical picture.

Once the finished product is completed, everything will fall into place naturally.

Liu Guangqi meticulously dissected the technical details, allowing researchers to repeatedly digest and absorb the information. Ultimately, with this powerful driving force, he single-handedly propelled the entire machine tool industry to achieve a rapid leap forward.

The successful breakthrough in seven-axis five-linkage technology has far-reaching implications. Objectively speaking, it will be difficult for Western countries to catch up in terms of technological systems within the next decade. With this, my country's machine tool industry has officially established its leading position globally.

Surrounded by enthusiastic applause, Liu Guangqi smiled and said, "Everyone, please calm down and finish the data backup and report compilation as soon as possible. I'll go and apply for the recognition you all deserve."

The word "recognition" once again stirred up the R&D hall.

Meanwhile, in Director Lin's office.

When the detailed test report was handed to him, and especially when Liu Guangqi casually placed the sample of the special aviation blade, gleaming with a cold luster, on the table, even this experienced director couldn't help but smile. He examined the blade repeatedly, his fingertips tracing its intricate curves, feeling the unique coolness and toughness of the metal.

"You comrade, you really didn't give me a single warning." Director Lin put down the leaf, picked up the report, and quickly glanced through it. "The records are so detailed, even the processing parameters for different materials are clearly marked."

He looked up, his eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration: "I thought I wouldn't hear any definite news until the end of the year at the earliest, but I didn't expect that you would present the finished product to me in just the middle of September. Very good, the research department's efforts over the past six months have not been in vain."

Director Lin added with a smile, "The minister will definitely be pleasantly surprised when this report is submitted."

Liu Guangqi smiled calmly, lightly tapping the piece of metal with his finger. "Data alone isn't intuitive enough; showing the actual product is much more convincing." He handed the blade to the director. "This type of component used to require three clamping operations on a five-axis machine tool. Now, a seven-axis system can form it in one operation and simultaneously mill the cooling channels, increasing overall efficiency by more than 50%."

Director Lin nodded in agreement. "You've thought of everything. Let's go, we'll report to the minister now."

The two moved swiftly. Director Lin had made an appointment by phone beforehand, and the assistant minister immediately stood up to greet them upon seeing them.

"Director Lin, Section Chief Liu. The Minister has just returned to his office. Please come with me."

This perfunctory guidance was merely a formality. The two were already intimately familiar with the location of the minister's office. However, within the government building, following the notification procedure was both a rule and a sign of respect.

The assistant walked briskly ahead, knocking lightly on the office door before opening it and announcing, "Sir, Director Lin and Section Chief Liu have arrived."

A loud and cheerful response came from inside: "Please come in! From now on, unless it's an important meeting, there's no need to announce their arrival."

"Understood." The assistant stepped back, gestured to the two of them, and then quietly returned to his workstation.

Pushing open the office door, one sees the Minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building sitting in a large office chair, holding a red-headed document, his shoulders slightly swaying, clearly in a very good mood. Even from a distance, the bright red "Ministry of Metallurgical Industry" seal at the end of the document is still particularly eye-catching.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this was actually a letter of thanks specially sent by the Ministry of Metallurgy.

"Sir, is our timing just right?" Director Lin asked tentatively with his usual smile.

Liu Guangqi then nodded to the minister.

The minister looked up at the sound, his smile growing even brighter, and waved repeatedly. "You've come at the perfect time! Please have a seat." His gaze passed over Director Lin and landed on Liu Guangqi, his eyes full of appreciation. "Look, the Ministry of Metallurgy just sent a letter of thanks; the ink isn't even dry yet."

He handed over the letter with a smile, his actions radiating genuine joy.

"Comrade Guangqi—"

In the office, Director Lin took the letter, his eyes swept across the paper, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"We should thank Comrade Guangqi properly." He handed the letter to Liu Guangqi, but turned to the minister and smiled, "Sir, I think this thin piece of paper isn't enough. The Ministry of Metallurgy has plenty of steel production now, so we should send a few more truckloads to show our sincerity."

After hearing this, the minister pointed at Director Lin and laughed, "You've got a good plan; I could hear it all." He paused, then nodded with a smile, "But then again, gratitude that only stays on paper is rather weak. I'll talk to them again later; there has to be some real gesture."

The atmosphere lightened up a bit.

The Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Metallurgy have a long-standing and collaborative relationship. No matter how sophisticated the industry or how many machine tools one possesses, without a continuous supply of raw materials from the metallurgical sector, nothing can be accomplished. Last year, with fighter jets entering mass production and CNC machine tools being widely adopted, the demand for steel surged, placing immense pressure on the metallurgical sector. Fortunately, Liu Guangqi proactively promoted technological innovation and introduced CNC equipment to directly affiliated steel mills, resulting in a significant increase in production capacity and enabling the entire metallurgical system to barely withstand the supply burden.

If the results are good, the technological breakthroughs brought by Liu Guangqi will undoubtedly be crucial.

Liu Guangqi accepted the belated thank-you letter, a knowing smile flashing across his eyes. The technological innovation and deployment of CNC machine tools were things of last year, and receiving this thank-you note now meant something more to him than anyone else.

The minister looked at him with approval in his eyes: "Thanks to the technological innovations you promoted earlier, they were able to smoothly navigate the transition period. Now, the Ministry of Metallurgy can not only guarantee the raw materials for the defense industry, but also support other departments—that's the power of technology."

Liu Guangqi calmly put down the letter: "Leader, this is the result of everyone's joint efforts. I was just doing my job and using the appropriate technology where it was needed."

After saying that, he handed over a manufacturing report.

"The seven-axis machine tool is already finished?" The minister asked, slightly surprised, as he took the report. He and Director Lin had originally thought that this breakthrough would not be achieved until the end of the year.

Liu Guangqi smiled and nodded: "Yes. Strictly speaking, although seven-axis is more difficult, we already have the foundation of five-axis. It's like learning to walk, so you can run faster."

He then steered the conversation to the features of seven-axis five-linkage: "Five-axis machining is suitable for machining complex curved surfaces, such as aircraft blades and marine propellers, but it often requires multiple clamping operations or special tools. Seven-axis five-linkage, on the other hand, can complete multiple processes such as turning, milling, and drilling in a single clamping operation, increasing efficiency by more than half compared to traditional equipment."

He briefly explained the differences between the two, giving the leadership a general understanding of the performance improvements. While superiors may not be intimately familiar with the details of such leading technologies, this also has its advantages—decisiveness and efficiency in decision-making.

The minister reviewed the report and, combined with Liu Guangqi's explanation, quickly grasped the situation. After the report concluded, he didn't waste a moment; he turned and hurried towards the higher-level council, his steps revealing a mixture of urgency and excitement.

The sound of knuckles tapping on the door was a few degrees deeper than usual.

The office door was open, and behind the desk sat an elderly man, his eyes showing weariness yet still gentle, who was reviewing documents on his desk. Hearing a sound, he looked up, took off his reading glasses, and his gaze fell on the person who had entered, as still as water.

"Please sit down."

He pointed to the chair opposite him, his voice low but carrying a calming power.

The minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building took a deep breath and gently placed the folder he had brought with him and the aircraft blade that gleamed coldly on the table.

"Boss," he began, his voice trembling, "our department... has completed the seven-axis, five-linkage machine tool."

The pen nib paused slightly on the paper.

The elder raised his eyes, his gaze suddenly becoming fixed on the man's face.

Explain in detail.

"yes!"

The minister opened the document, but his gaze involuntarily fell on the leaf. Its curved surface flowed smoothly like autumn water, its luster was sharp, and every turn seemed to have grown naturally.

"The test report shows that the performance of the newly developed seven-axis five-linkage machine tool completely exceeded expectations."

He gently pushed the piece of steel to the other side.

The elder put down his pen, leaned forward slightly, and a focused light appeared in his eyes.

"Is this what a seven-axis machine is made of?"

"Yes!" The minister handed over the report. "Look here. In the past, machining these complex blades using a five-axis machining center required at least three setups, which was labor-intensive and time-consuming. Now—"

He paused for a moment, the words spoken by that young figure flashing through his mind.

"Now, a single setup can complete all the turning, milling, and drilling processes. Efficiency... has increased by at least half."

He finished speaking in one breath, and even he himself felt that his words had an unfamiliar professional quality.

The elder took the leaf, his fingertips gently tracing its mirror-like surface, as if touching a work of art. A smile slowly spread across his eyes.

He suddenly looked up, a knowing smile in his eyes:

"You just learned this line from Comrade Guangqi, didn't you?"

"I can't hide it from you." The minister didn't hide anything and showed a simple smile in front of his superior. "You know me. It's not easy for me to understand the general idea of ​​these top-notch technologies like seven-axis and five-axis. I'm just a messenger."

Laughter drifted softly through the office.

The elder placed the leaf back on the table, his gaze lingering on it with affection.

"That makes sense," he said gently, "but this young man from your First Ministry of Machine Building truly surprises us time and time again."

Changing the subject, he looked at the minister:

"Have you heard back about the application for academician membership that I asked you to submit? I heard the Chinese Academy of Sciences speaks very highly of him?"

"Yes," the minister replied with a smile, "this young man seems to have an indescribable energy that makes people want to take a second look. Even Director Deng of the Northwest Base sent word that he thinks highly of him."

"Oh? Director Deng said the same thing?"

The elder was genuinely surprised, and his curiosity grew.

His impression of that young man was still deeply etched in the contributions of the five-axis machine tool. Machine tools were ranked first among the aid projects of that year. He understood the weight of those eight words—"industrial mother machine, a pillar of the nation"—better than anyone else.